Mayflies in June

Just arrived back at the northern camp today. This time for a bit of an extended stay. Nice.

Apparently, we are here just in time for the annual fish fly hatching in northern Michigan. That's what we always called them as kids over at my uncle's cottage near Indian River, but I'm pretty sure that the actual name is the Mayfly. Fish, especially trout, love 'em. Hence the name we always called them.

Kind of nasty things. They aren't exactly small, and they tend to fly in after hatching off the lake and alight on everything and anything. They'll fly under your awning and take over the furniture, and if your out in the evening they seem to favor your hair.

I know that like most bugs, light can attract them. As a kid, I can remember certain years when they would cover the pavement under a street light so thickly that cars would slide on them. Phew!

Anyway, despite the mess, they don't bite. They can't; they have no mouth parts! Guess that's why they only live a day after hatching. What a strange process for a life though. Even a bug's life.

I like to see them for one reason: they indicate a healthy, clean lake.

Tonight as I fished on lovely Lake Leelanau, they were popping to the surface and flying off after airing out their wings. Well, most were. I saw a few though that were pulled under by some unseen fish-life before they could fly. In an instant, only rings on the water remained; their apparent purpose on earth fulfilled. Fat chance for my efforts; dangling a fake worm while these delicacies floated on the water!

Although I don't see the huge swarms of them that I did as a kid, they are still here. Part of my memories of the northern lakes. Still part of the experience of being out of doors on a beautiful June evening when even at 9:30, the sun's still warm on your back at the 45th parallel. So if I have to pick one out of my hair once in while, that's just fine with me.